Francis Malthus an engineer in the royal French army and a captain general of mines and sapping, was responsible for the French use of mortar beginning in 1634. Having received his education in pyrotechnics on the Continent, his work was considered more sophisticated than that of his contemporary English experts. This edition is the first of the most important book on artillery from the seventeenth-century. The work is divided into five sections—artillery, bombs and mortars, tunnel-making, mines, and fireworks for entertainment. "Pratique de la guerre," provides many practical tricks and techniques for breaking through the barriers of a fortressed city. The Library's copy is in a contemporary full-vellum binding.